Hansen Trust to support initiatives in History in the Faculty of Arts

The Hansen Trust has been established, in perpetuity, to transform the teaching of History at the University of Melbourne.

The Hansen Trust

The game-changing news for the History program was an extraordinary donation of $8 million to the Faculty of Arts by Jane Hansen. Jane is a prominent and energetic patron of and advocate for the arts and humanities. She is also, to our delight, a passionate student of History.

Hansen's extraordinary vision and generous donation - the largest ever made to a History program in Australia - has enabled the establishment of the Hansen Trust to support initiatives in the Faculty. The first priority of the Trust is to enhance innovation and excellence in the teaching of history at The University of Melbourne.

The Hansen Trust has been established, in perpetuity, to transform the teaching of History at The University of Melbourne. It aims to develop and instil a passion for History within students and the broader community, to deepen student engagement with their learning, to emphasise the importance of this field of study, and to support a range of initiatives in the Faculty of Arts to build excellence and innovation in teaching and learning programs.

The Trust supports:

an endowed professorship in the field of History called The Hansen Chair in History

a five-year senior lectureship in the field of History called The Hansen Senior Lecturer in History

3 five-year lectureships in the field of History called The Hansen Lecturers in History

one or more annual scholarships for students who are undertaking a PhD in history called the Hansen Scholarship

The Trust aims also to promote appreciation of the lifelong value and relevance of an education in History, and to nurture a passion for History in the broader community by raising the public visibility of History education.

Five new academic appointments have been made including The Hansen Chair in History, The Hansen Senior Lectureship in History and The Hansen Lectureships in History.